


Water-Tribe Promise

by WinterSnufkin



Series: Zuko vs. Adults [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Anxiety, Gen, Overprotective Zuko, Paranoid Behavior, Past Child Abuse, Suspicion of Adults, Zuko Three Seconds Later: Who Is This Man and Why Is He Touching You... Suspicious, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko vs. Adults, Zuko: Yeah I'll help you save your dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterSnufkin/pseuds/WinterSnufkin
Summary: “I don’t think this is any of your concern, son,” he establishes firmly, glancing over Zuko to where Katara’s disappeared around the corner.A chill shoots down Zuko’s spine, and when Hakoda steps right, Zuko moves again to block his way.
Relationships: Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zuko vs. Adults [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766464
Comments: 91
Kudos: 4175
Collections: Finished111, One shots





	Water-Tribe Promise

To Zuko, saving Sokka and Katara’s father and uniting a family pulled apart by war seems like an inevitable progression of his new life.

In joining Team Avatar, he notices that the more he brings vital Fire Nation secrets into play when he offers help, the more they seem to trust his sincerity.

Earth Kingdom invasion plans? _He’s got your back._ Special firebending katas developed and only used by the royal family? _What are friends for?_ Whatever he happens to remember from boredly glancing over the fire navy schematics of his old Wani? _If it’s useful, whatever._

So when Sokka starts asking about prisoners of war, though he’s hesitant at first, he quickly realizes that telling him about Boiling Rock is another way for him to prove himself.

However--

“ _Save their father_ ” had initially only been a grand concept in his mind, one of heroism and servitude to his new friends. The reality isn’t so simple.

When Chief Hakoda actually steps off of the gondola and into the prison complex, Zuko’s instincts kick in and he registers things like “ _grown-ass man_ ” and “ _twice Sokka’s size_ ” and “ _dangerous enough to be separated from his men_ ”.

He steps between Hakoda and his son.

Sokka hardly registers the movement and easily pushes past him to get closer, excited to finally see his father after so long. Zuko stalks after him with a frown on his face, hands clenched into fists at his sides, but in the end he lets his friend take the lead and only glares from behind his shoulder.

They all work together to escape. Zuko’s run-in with Azula shakes him to his core, and he finds a dark corner to hide in during their trip back to the temple in the war balloon.

Nobody comes to find him, and he wonders if he’s done something terrible in leaving Sokka alone with their new allies.

\-----

He watches the three of them carefully across the campfire. They seem… happy. Sokka and Hakoda take turns making terrible jokes while Katara groans and fights back a smile. They touch… often. An arm around Sokka’s back, a hand on Katara’s shoulder. They seem to welcome it, even lean into it.

But does that mean anything? Aang had mentioned in passing that Katara and her father had briefly been at odds right before the Day of Black Sun, and he had barely kept himself from asking for more information, for asking if Katara, like him, had gotten scars for her defiance.

He watches them love each other from across the campfire and all he can think about is how much he loved his father right up until he couldn’t anymore. And sometimes when he’s alone at night, curled up in the darkness, he lets himself admit that he might still love his father, even as he knows that every sunrise he will once again train Aang to go for the kill.

It’s this contradiction that makes him wonder if he’s not so different from the rest of his family.

\-----

Zuko spars with Sokka. Before the prison break, it had been a way for them to vent the frustration that they were feeling towards each other and the rest of the group.

After the prison break, Sokka smiles at Zuko from the other end of his sword and he realises that the tension between them is gone.

The wave of relief he feels is so intense that Sokka immediately knocks him on his ass.

“Woah!” Sokka laughs nervously and offers him a hand up. “Sorry, dude, you’re usually not so easy to topple.”

“Or perhaps you’re improving, Sokka,” comes a deep voice from the entrance, and Zuko full-body flinches before his brain can catch up with his ears.

Sokka gives him a weird look and turns to the Chief. “You really think so, dad? How much did you see?”

Hakoda chuckles. “Enough to know that you actually know how to use that ‘space sword’ of yours.”

“He was trained by Master Piandao,” Zuko interjects, heart thundering in his chest. “He learned the art faster than anyone I’ve sparred with before. Faster than me.”

“Oh, what? Just yesterday you told me I fought like someone had given a turtleduck a butterknife.” Sokka is clearly astonished by Zuko’s sudden praise.

“That was a joke!” He flushes red-hot and can’t look anywhere near either of them. “I was trying to banter!”

“I’m sure he’ll only continue to improve with you helping him,” Chief Hakoda suggests awkwardly, the corner of his mouth twitching like he wants to smile. “How long have you been using the duel dao?”

Zuko frowns. “Since I was nine. My firebending was never that good, so I trained with the dao in secret to compensate.” He doesn’t like this turn to the conversation. “That’s where my skill set ends, though. Sokka knows how to use a boomerang, and I heard that he briefly trained with fans under the Kyoshi Warriors. Also, h-he-- invented the war balloon!”

Sokka waves his hands in front of himself frantically. “What-- no! Teo’s dad made that! I just helped him come up with the idea to let air out through the top! If you want to know about things I’ve _actually_ invented, I’ll have you know--”

Ten minutes into Sokka’s rant, Zuko slips out of the room. He’d seen the proud look on Hakoda’s face and knew that Sokka would be safe for at least the rest of the night.

\-----

“This is amazing, Katara!” exclaims Hakoda when they’ve all dug into her stew. They’re not just a small circle of children anymore, but a scattering of all ages, with the Mechanist and Chit Sang and Teo and Haru, as well as The Duke, who is far too young. It’s getting harder for Zuko to keep track of so many people. It makes him nervous. “When did you learn to cook like this?”

She smiles, but it’s more like a grimace. “While you were gone.”

Hakoda’s delight drops away like sand through a sieve. Zuko-- though he’d prefer not to describe it this way-- freaks out.

“Well that’s-- it’s still-- really good stew!” he splutters. They both ignore him. Everyone else at the campfire shifts in place awkwardly.

“I thought we’d moved past that,” Hakoda says gently. Katara huffs out a frustrated breath and glances away.

“Yeah… Sorry, but it’s kind of hard to forget. I mean--” She glances at Aang’s nervous face and sighs, standing up and starting to walk away. “I’ll get over it, it’s just… hard sometimes.” She sounds a little choked.

Hakoda stands to follow her. Zuko gets up and stands in front of him, forcing his face into a stony expression and squaring his shoulders.

Hakoda frowns down at him and steps to the left.

Zuko steps with him.

“I don’t think this is any of your concern, son,” he establishes firmly, glancing over Zuko to where Katara’s disappeared around the corner.

A chill shoots down Zuko’s spine, and when Hakoda steps right, Zuko moves again to block his way.

Aang shoots up with a burst of wind and grabs Zuko by the elbow. “Sifu Hotman! Wanna see a new firebending trick I just came up with right now?”

“What?” hisses Zuko, refusing to avert his glare from Hakoda. “Is this really the time?”

“Yeah, before I forget!”

Sokka jumps up too, no idea what’s happening, but following Aang’s lead. “Oh, yeah, he showed it to me earlier, it’s so cool!”

Suki stands, eyeing Zuko thoughtfully. “And I’ll go with Hakoda to talk to Katara.”

With that, Zuko lets himself get dragged away.

\-----

They’re all whispering amongst themselves when Zuko walks by the next day. They stop the moment he gets near, and start again when he leaves hearing range. It’s giving him an eye twitch.

If they’re deciding to kick him out, he’d at least like the chance to defend himself.

He’s washing his spare clothes in one of the working stone fountains when he hears footsteps come up behind him.

“For the last time, Sokka, I am not doing your laundry. Find your own fountain or wait your turn,” he argues wearily, swirling the red cloth around in the soapy water with a stick he found.

“You don’t trust me with my own kids.” It’s not Sokka’s voice behind him. Zuko freezes like an antelope-deer in front of a charging bull-rhino. The footsteps come closer, until they’re right behind him.

Zuko feels his own eyes drift closed and wonders why the avatar ever thought it would be a good idea to bring adults into their group, compromising their safety. It’s so hard to keep track of all the complex motivations. He drops his stick into the fountain and folds his hands on his lap.

He hears Hakoda circle around to look at his face, then hesitate at what he sees. Zuko can hardly blame him. It’s not a pretty sight, even when you already know to expect it. “...I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.”

Zuko opens his eyes in surprise when Hakoda sits down, keeping part of the fountain between them. “...What?” His mouth has dried out, and his voice is even raspier than usual.

Hakoda smiles at him. “Any man that thinks my kids are worth protecting is a friend in my book. Especially when Katara’s still giving you such a hard time. The only reason it’s a problem is that you seem to think I’m a threat to them.”

Despite everything inside screaming at him to stay quiet, Zuko’s eyes narrow. “How can I know you’re not? Any man can be charming by day, when everyone’s watching.” His own boldness sends his blood thundering through his veins. Steam rises from the fountain. “There’s no way to know who has good intentions.”

Hakoda chuckles, but his face is filled with pity. “That sounds like a miserable way to live your life, Prince Zuko. I guess the only way I can convince you I don’t want to hurt my kids is by just… not doing that. Day after day. As long as it takes, until you see that I love them as much as you do.”

Zuko scowls and averts his gaze to the boiling water.

“Zuko.”

He reluctantly glances up again. Hakoda’s face is one of determination and compassion. It makes his heart ache.

“I _will_ prove it to you. Water-Tribe promise.”

The way he says it makes Zuko suddenly want to believe him, desperately, but the trust doesn’t come, and he hates himself a little more. The Chieftain stands and circles around to leave, careful not to get too close.

When Zuko’s alone again, he rests his forehead on the stonework of the fountain and tries to remember how to breathe.


End file.
